"Tim Schafer's comment that Bobby Kotick 'makes a big deal about not liking games' just isn't true. Bobby has always been passionate about games and loves the videogame industry," commented Maryanne Lataif, senior vice president of corporate communications at Activision Blizzard.

"But as CEO of a company that makes games enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, the demands on his time now make it difficult to play games as often as he'd like to or as much as he once did."

"As Schafer himself notes," she added, "he has never actually met Bobby Kotick."

Schafer said he hoped Bobby Kotick would go back to another industry "soon" so he could concentrate on making more money. "Ball bearings," he joked, "something that suits his passions more. Weapons manufacturing?"